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REPORT 



OP THE 



COMMITTEE ON MILITIA AND PUBLIC DEFENCE, 



IN ANSWER TO A 



RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE, 



RELATIVE TO 



& Mer of Men Enlistej anj FiiniislieJ tlie FetallGoverieflt 



FROM THIS STATE, 



The Toriii for which they were Enlisted, &c. 



TRANSMITTED TO THE LEGISLATURE FEBRUARY 19, 1863. 



ALBANY: 

COMSTOCK k CASSIDY, PRINTERS. 
1863. 



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ISTo. 46. 



IN SENATE, 

February 19, 1863. 



•REPORT 

OF THE COMMITTEE ON MILITIA AND PUBLIC DEFENCE, IN 
ANSWER TO A RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE, RELATIVE TO 
THE NUMBER OF MEN ENLISTED AND FURNISHED THE FED- 
ERAL GOVERNMENT FROM THIS STATE, THE TERM FOR 
WHICH THEY WERE ENLISTED, &c. 

The committee on militia and public defence, to which was 
referred a resolution of the Senate of the 16th of February inst., 
that the said committee inquire and report to the Senate, at an 
day, " the number of men enlisted and furnished the Federal 
government from this State, and the term for which they were 
enlisted, since the 16th day of April, 1861; the number now in 
the service of the United States from this State ; the number 
whose terms of enlistment will expire previous to the next annual 
meeting of the Legislature ; and recommend some feasible plan 
for suppl}'ing any deficiency there may exist in the quota required 
of this State for supplying the place of those whose term of ser- 
vice shall expire before the next 'annual meeting of the Legisla- 
ture, and to meet any further call or levy the government may 
make upon this State for more troops," 

REPORT : 

The committee having seen, in the reported proceedings of the 
Senate of the United States, that a proposition was there made 
by the military committee to consolidate all the regiments of 
volunteers now in the service of the United States, drew up a 
respectful but decided remonstrance against any such consolida- 
tion of the first thirty-eight regiments of volunteers from this 
State, which had been raised under the act of April 16, 1861, 

[Senate, No. 46.] 1 



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2 [Senate 

and accepted into the service for two years, and ■whose term of 
service will expire in May and June next, and recommended a 
plan for the reorganization of said regiments and the re-enlist- 
ment of the men and officers into the service of the United States, 
a copy of which remonstrance is hereto annexed, marked A. 

This remonstrance was approved by his Excellency Governor 
Seymour and by Adjutant General Sprague, a copy thereof was 
sent to the Hon. Henry Wilson, chairman of the military com- 
mittee in the Senate of the United States, by the chairman of 
this committee, and a duplicate copy was transmitted by the 
Adjutant General to the Secretary of War. 

The chairman of the military committee in the United States 
Senate promptly acknowledged the receipt of the remonstrance, 
and replied that nothing would be done to consolidate those regi- 
ments, and that the committee thought well of the plan proposed 
for re-enlisting, recruiting and filling up the said regiments. 

.Since the receipt of said communication from Senator Wilson, 
the committee have conversed with officers from several of these 
first thirty-eight regiments, and they uniformly agree in opinion, 
that if these regiments can be permitted by the War Department 
to come back to the State on furlough for a short time, the officers 
and men will generally re-enlist for the war, and that the sooner 
the furlough is granted the better, for the reasons : 

1st. That the condition of the roads in Virginia is such, that 
these regiments can be of little service for the remainder of their 
term. 

2d. That the men, and most of the ofiicers, have had no respite 
since their enlistment. 

3d. That they will be more likely to re-enlist after a month's 
furlough now, than later in the spring; and the regiments might 
be recruited and ready for service by the months of May or June 
next, in time for the summer campaign. 

The committee believe that upon the passage of the conscrip- 
tion act in Congress, making all persons of a certain age liable 
to draft, giving a bounty of $50 to volunteers who re-enlist for 
one year, and $100 to those who re-enlist for two years after the 
expiration of their term of service ; and upon the passage of a 
law of this State, giving, additional bounties, as well to those 
who re-enlist to fill up these thirty-eight regiments and the three 
years' regiments now in the field, as to those who may enlist in 
pew regiments and corps in this State as the same may be called 

61505 



No. 46.] 3 

for, we shall be able to obtain recruits sufficient to fill any quota 
of this State now due, or hereafter to become due, without resort- 
ing to a draft. 

"Without approving the system of State and county bounties, 
as heretofore given in this State to volunteers, the committee 
recognize the justice of the claim of those who enlisted for two 
years' service without any bounty, who have honorably served 
their country in its hour of peril, and who are willing tore-enlist 
for the war, to a share of the State bounty with those who en- 
listed under the last calls for volunteers ; and since the system of 
paying bounties to volunteers has been established, the committee 
believe that recruits cannot be obtained, either for the old or 
new regiments, without the continuance of such paj^ment, and in 
this belief the committee are sustained by the opinion of the 
Adjutant General. 

The committee therefore recommend the passage of an act to 
promote the re-enlistment of volunteers now in the service, and 
the enlistment of persons into new regiments and corps hereafter 
to be organized in this State, a draft of which is herewith pre- 
sented ; and that his Excellency the Governor be requested to 
communicate with the War Department of the United States, 
and endeavor to obtain an immediate furlough for said thirty- 
eight regiments, that measures may be taken forthwith to fill up 
the same by re-enlistments and recruits. 

The schedule annexed, marked B, contains the answer of the 
Adjutant General to the request of the committee for the infor- 
mation asked by the said resolution of the Senate of February 
16, 1861, and also a statement of the principal new regiments 
and corps of volunteers now being organized in this State. 

All which is respectfully submitted. 

J. C. SMITH, 
J. H. RAMSEY, 
CHAS. G. COHNELL. 



SCHEDULE A. 
To the Military Committee in the Senate of the United States: 

The undersigned, committee on militia and public defence in 
the Senate of the State of New York, having observed that a 
bill has been reported in the United States Senate to consolidate 
the regiments now in the field, beg leave respectfully to remon- 



4 ' [Senatk 

strate against the consolidation of the first thirty-eight regiments 
!)f volunteers sent from the State of New York, and mustered 
into service for two years, and whose term of service will expire 
within the next four months, for the following reasons : 

The efSciency and superiority of these regiments have won for 
them high encomiums from their generals in the field, and the 
experience of the rank and file make it desirable that they should 
be continued in the service for a longer period, if possible, than 
the term for which they enlisted. This could not be done by 
consolidation. These regiments, having been raised in difierent 
localities in our State, have a natural pride in their own desig- 
nation and number, and a love for the colors which they have 
borne so bravely in so many conflicts. To consolidate, some 
must lose this identity and give up their colors, and a large 
number of non-commissioned officers, who have won their chev- 
rons by service, must be reduced to the ranks, and many commis- 
sioned officers be mustered out of service. These causes will 
necessarily create discontent and dissatisfaction, and destroy 
any desire that there may be in either officers or men to remain 
in the service. It would give more satisfaction to the localities 
from which these men came, to the officers and men, and to the 
State at large, if they were allowed* to retain their organization 
until the expiration of their short term of service, whilst their 
consolidation for so short a period would be of little, if any, 
service to the General government. And again, it would prevent 
the filling up of those regiments, which we propose to do on the 
following plan, if it meets the approval of the General govern- 
ment : 

As there is a larger number of commissioned officers in those 
regiments than are needed for the number of men, we propose, 
1st. That all such officers, not required in the service, be ordered 
to report to the Governor of the State direct for their respective 
regiments, giving preference to such officers as desire to remain 
in the service. 2d. These officers will be sent by the Governor 
to the difl'erent localities from whence they came, and with the 
endowment of a State bounty in addition to the bounty oiFered 
by the General government, must exert themselves to obtain 
recruits. 3d. The recruits so obtained to be collected in camps 
of instruction for drill and discipline. 4th. To allow these regi- 
ments to return to the State a short time before their term of 
enlistment expires, in a body. We think that the public would 



No. 46.] 5 

receive them in such manner that the appearance of these vete- 
rans, with their tattered flags, will excite a military enthusiasm, 
and give an impetus to recruiting, and will also excite the enthu- 
siasm of the troops themselves, and induce many to re-enlist who 
otherwise would not do so. " Lastly,, before the final mustering 
out and payment of these men, give them a short furlough to 
return to their homes, and upon their reassembling to be mus- 
tered out and for payment, and the securing of the one hundred 
I dollars bounty, given by the General government at the close of 
their term of service, offer them, as an inducement for re-enlist- 
ing, the same bounty given to recruits of their regiment and an 
additional bounty from the State for re-enlistment. In this way 
we think these thirty-eight regiments can retain their original 
organization, be filled up, and oflBcered by experienced commis- 
sioned and non-commissioned officers, ready for return to the 
field soon after their first term of service shall have expired. 
All of which is respectfully submitted. 

J. C. SMITH, Chairmaji. 

J. H. RAMSEY. 



SCHEDULE B. 

Genehal Headquarters, State of New York, ") 
Adjutant General's Office, \ 

Albany, February 18, 1863. J 
Hon. Jesse C. Smith, 

Chairman Senate Committee on Militia: 
Sir — In reply to your communication of this date, I have to 
inform you : 

1st. The number of men enlisted and turned over to 
the United States government, from this State, since 

April 16, 1861, is 222,053 

Of these, there have been 

Mustered into U. States service for 3 mouths.. 15,922 

do do 9 do .. 2,560 

do do 2 years... 30,250 

do do 3 do ... 173,321 

222,053 

2d. There is no data in this oifice, from which can be ascer- 
tained, with any degree of certainty, the number of troops from 
this State now in the field. 



6 [Senate 

3d. The number whose term of enlistment will expire previous 
to the next annual meeting of the Legislature, are the thirty- 
eight regiments enlisted for two years, and whose term of service 
will expire in May and June next, and the nine months' regiments, 
in all, say about 12,000. 

I am, sir, very respectfully. 

Your obedient serv't, 

JOHN T. SPRAGUE, 

Adjutant General. 



List of Regiments organizing in the State. 

INFANTRY. 

Second Hawkins' Zouaves. — Authorized November 12, 1862, to 
serve nine months — 215 men. Col. Julius W. Adams. 

Seymour Light Infantry. — Authorized December 4, 1862, to 
serve three years — present strength, 113 men. Col. Henry F. 
Liebenau. 

Third Regiment, Merchants' Brigade. — Authorized October 23, 
1862, to serve three years — present strength, 313 men. Colonel 
Ethan Allen. 

Burnside Rifles. — Authorized January 10, 1863, to serve three 
years. Col. Edward Wehler. 

JVew York State Sharp-shooters. — Authorized October 22, 1862, 
nine months and three years. Major William S. Rowland. 

Pratt Guard. — Organized December 2, 1862, three years. Col. 
M. G. Bell. 

Westchester Light Infantry. — Authorized February 6, 1863, 
three years. Col. James R. Quick. 

Defenders. — Authorized February 11, 1863, three years. Col. 
Francis X. Braulik. 

CAVALRY. 

Third Ira Harris Guards. — Authorized October 4, 1862, three 
years. Col. James W. Savage. 

Twelfth Cavalry. — Authorized October 9, 1862, three years. 
Col. Henry E. Davies, Jr. 

Metropolitan Cavalry. — Authorized November 19, 1862, three 
years. Col. Thaddeus P. Mott. 

Seymour Cavalry. — Authorized January 16, 1863, three years. 
Col. David Webb. 



No. 46.] 7 

Sprague Light Cavalry. — Authorized January 11, 1863, three 
years. Col. J. H. Olmstead. 

Tompkins' Cavalry. — Authorized January 28,1863, three years. 
Col. G. W. B. Tompkins. 

ARTILLERY. 

Eleventh Artillery, JV. F. F.— Authorized February 1, 1863, 
three years. Col. W. B. Barnes. 



AN ACT 
To promote the re-enlistment of volunteers now in the service of 
the United States, and the enlistment of persons into regi- 
ments and corps now in said service and hereafter to be 
organized. 

The People oj the State of JVew York, represented in Senate and 
Assembly, do enact as follows: 

Section 1. There shall be paid to each volunteer now in the 
service of the United States, in any of the regiments from this 
State, organized under the act of the Legislature, passed April 
16, 1861, entitled "An act to authorize the embodying and equip- 
ment of a volunteer militia and to provide for the public defence," 
who may re-enlist, to serve one year in the United States service, 
unless sooner discharged, after the expiration of his present ser- 
vice, the sum of fifty dollars ; and to every such volunteer, now 
in service in said regiments, who may re-enlist to serve two years, 
unless sooner discharged, after the expiration of their present 
term of enlistment, the sum of one hundred dollars. 

§ 2. There shall be paid to each non-commissioned officer, mu- 
sician and private who shall enlist in any regiment or corps of 
volunteers from this State, now in the service of the United 
States, and to each non-commissioned oflScer and private who may 
enlist in any military organization duly authorized in this State, 
and preparing for the service of the United States, for the term 
of three years or the war, the sum of seventy-five dollars. 

§ 3. The moneys paid under the foregoing sections shall be 
paid at such time or times, and in such manner and proportion 
as shall be deemed most likely to encourage enlistments, secure 
the services of the volunteers in the United States service, and 
prevent fraud and desertion, and as shall be directed by the Go- 
vernor as Commander-in-Chief in general orders. 



8 [Senate 

§4. The sum of dollars, or so much thereof as may 

be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of the moneys in the 
treasury not otherwise appropriated, to defray the expenditures 
authorized by this act. 

^ 5. There shall be imposed, for the fiscal year commencing on 
the first day of October, one thousand eight hundred and sixty- 
three, a State tax for such sum as the Comptroller shall deem 
necessary to meet the expenses hereby authorized, not to exceed 
mills on each dollar of the valuation of rtal and personal 
property in this State, to be assessed, raised, levied, collected 
and paid in the same manner as the other State taxes are levied, 
assessed, collected and paid into the treasury. 

^ 6. This act shall take effect immediately. 



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